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The Gorilla Foundation has been exploring interspecies communication with gorillas for over 4 decades, through an integrated process of research and gorilla care that focuses on using sign language as a primary tool for understanding the great ape mind and its potential.

Project Koko began in 1972 when Penny Patterson, a graduate student in psychology at Stanford, decided to teach sign language to a 1-year-old gorilla as part of her Ph.D. thesis. She had no idea it would evolve into a life mission. more

Dr. Patterson chose American Sign Language as the vehicle for communicating with a gorilla, as this approach had already been use successfully with chimpanzees. Turns out, other modes of communication are possible too. more

Project Koko has led to a number of breakthroughs, as well as a paradigm shift in how we think about other great apes. However, we have just scratched the surface, and there is much more to learn from them. more

The Gorilla Foundation has accumulated more data than we can analyze, interpret and apply ourselves, and new opportunities for research present themselves daily. Join us in our quest to help our fellow great apes. more